Last week in Africa, Kenyan and Somali forces clashed following a Kenyan military incursion into Somalia; secessionist violence was reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and Ghana; and anti-government demonstrations were reported in Egypt and Cameroon. The killing of three civilians by Kenyan state forces in Somalia’s Gedo region prompted large anti-Kenya demonstrations…
Last week in Africa, Al Shabaab launched a failed assassination attempt on the chief of the Somali National Army; Ambazonian separatists engaged in high profile attacks against civilians in Cameroon; and voter registration prompted violence in Ghana. In Somalia, Al Shabaab staged a failed assassination attempt on Somali National Army chief General Odawaa Yusuf Rageh…
Last week, heavy fighting continued in the Sahel, as Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) militants staged successful operations against state forces and the rival Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS). Insurgents in Cabo Delgado continued to make gains in Mozambique. Meanwhile, Nigerian, Nigerien, and Chadian forces launched extensive operations to dislodge Boko Haram from…
Natural disasters — such as hurricanes, floods, and tsunamis — are often used as an impetus for massive policy shifts and redistribution of state resources. Often, sudden changes of government expenditure may contribute to public frustration, particularly when a state’s response to an emergency is seen as ineffective. Indeed, a commonly cited cause for public…
Key developments in Africa in the week of January 27th include the militant violence in Burkina Faso, the rising instability in Nigeria ahead of the February elections, and the political tensions in Cameroon, Burundi and Western Africa. Jihadism in the Sahel remains a potent source of insecurity as it continues to expand in frequency and…
Key developments in Africa during the week of September 16th include violence in Ethiopia, renewed fighting in Libya’s Tripoli, the death of a Mayi Mayi faction leader in DRC and key incidents involving international actors in Niger and Nigeria. In Ethiopia, at least two large attacks were carried out on September 16th by emboldened Oromo…
Key developments in Africa during the week of September 9th include continued high levels of insurgent activity in Somalia and Cameroon; heavy military activity against Boko Haram in Nigeria; continued ethnic unrest in south-west Kenya; political unrest in Ethiopia and a large-scale bombing in Libya. In Somalia, al Shabaab has continued a number of low-level…
Key developments in Africa during the week of September 2nd include the high insurgent activity in Somalia, Cameroon and Burkina Faso; the persistence of multiple fronts of violence in Nigeria; the escalation of violence in Bria in the Central African Republic; and the protests in Kenya and in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Insurgents have…
There was an overall downward trend in the levels of organised violence and protests on the African continent during the month of August 2018 compared to the rest of the year. There are fewer reported events than is typical for August based on previous years, but this pattern may still be reversed due to reporting…
The most notable trend in Africa on the week of July 22nd was the rise in violence involving Islamist militants across a number of countries. In Somalia, Al Shabaab carried out multiple operations across southern regions. The group claimed responsibility for several IED and grenade explosions targeting government officials and troops in Mogadishu, Baidoa, Belet…